Cost guide
How much do radiators cost?
Swapping a radiator for the same size is £150 to £350 fitted, including the radiator. Adding a new one to an existing circuit is £400 to £900. A thermostatic valve change is £60 to £120 per valve.
Typical prices
Ranges, not quotes. A quote depends on your room.
| Work | Typical UK price |
|---|---|
| Swap one radiator, same size | £150 to £350 |
| Supply and fit heated towel rail | £250 to £500 |
| Add a radiator, timber floor | £400 to £700 |
| Add a radiator, solid floor | £600 to £900 |
| Thermostatic valve replacement, each | £60 to £120 |
| Remove and refit for decorating, each | £50 to £90 |
If several radiators are being changed, have the system balanced afterwards in the same visit. It costs an hour and it is the difference between a warm house and one warm end of a house.
What moves the price
- Whether the pipe centres match, which decides if the pipework has to move.
- Floor construction. A run under a timber floor is straightforward; a solid floor means chasing or surface trunking.
- Radiator type. A steel panel convector is a fraction of the cost of a cast iron or designer unit.
- Whether the system has to be drained down and re-dosed with inhibitor.
- Distance from the nearest pair of pipes to tee into.
What the money buys: swapping radiators like for like.
Who quotes for it
10 of the 61 plumbers and heating engineers listed on this site take on radiators.
Most of them in one place: Leeds (4), Manchester (3), Liverpool (3).
Questions about radiators
Can a towel rail heat a bathroom on its own?
Often not. A typical towel rail puts out a few hundred watts, and a bathroom with an external wall may need more. Check the output before removing an existing radiator.
Why do I have to bleed radiators so often?
Air that keeps coming back is being generated, usually by corrosion inside the system or by air drawn in through a leak or an open vent. Repeated bleeding is a symptom worth investigating.